Floyd’s death reignites NFL debate over racial protest
As demonstrations against police brutality spread across the US following the death of George Floyd, divisions over how to address racial inequality returned to the nation’s most popular sport — American football. The game has been grappling since 2016 with the legacy of Colin Kaepernick and his controversial decision to “take a knee” during the national anthem because he did not want to “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour”.
On Wednesday, Drew Brees, the star quarterback of the New Orleans Saints football club, reignited the debate over the issue when he said he was against kneeling during the national anthem because it showed a lack of respect for the US flag, according to an interview with Yahoo Finance. His remarks drew near-universal opprobrium from athletes in football and beyond, including basketball superstar LeBron James.
